Garage Door Screen with Swinging Door

Field of the Invention—This invention relates to garage door screens.

This Summary is provided to introduce in a simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The detailed description below describes a garage door screen with a built in swinging door.

As used herein, “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together. When each one of A, B, and C in the above expressions refers to an element, such as X, Y, and Z, or class of elements, such as X1-Xm, Y1-Yn, and Z1-Zo, the phrase is intended to refer to a single element selected from X, Y, and Z, a combination of elements selected from the same class (e.g., X1 and X2) as well as a combination of elements selected from two or more classes (e.g., Y1 and Z3).

It is to be noted that the term “a entity” or “an entity” refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising.” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.

There are many types of garage door screens. Some are simply giant screens that roll up and down like a window shade but have no opening. Ingress and egress to the garage requires opening the entire screen. Some garage door screens are one solid piece with a doorway built in. The tracks are parallel to each other along the ceiling and the vertical wall and require a lot of clearance inside the garage due to the physical space that the garage door screen must travel through from the closed position to the open position.

The garage door screen with swinging door is a durable multi-panel full garage door screen with a built in swinging door that transforms the garage into a fully functioning indoor/outdoor space which allows airflow and protection from pests and provides easy ingress and egress to and from the interior of the garage. The garage door screen with swinging door operates just like a regular garage door. There are three or four or more horizontal panels depending upon the height of the garage door opening that are hinged together just like a regular garage door but the panels are screened and not solid wood or windows.

To assist in the understanding of the present disclosure the following list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings is provided herein:

Referring now to the Figures, like reference numerals and names refer to structurally and/or functionally similar elements thereof, and if objects depicted in the figures that are covered by another object, as well as the tag line for the element number thereto, may be shown in dashed lines.shows a perspective view of a garage door and a garage door screen with swinging door in the open position in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, garage dooris a typical multi-panel garage door that runs on a pair of parallel railsand is opened and closed via motorand drive chain. Garage door screenruns on two parallel railsthat are located just below and behind the railsof garage doorand is also opened and closed via motorand drive chain.

shows a perspective view of the garage door in the open position and the garage door screen with swinging door in the closed position in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, motorand drive chainhave closed garage door screenwhile garage dooris in the open position.

shows a perspective view and a partial cut-away view of the garage door and the garage door screen with swinging door in the closed position in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, motorand drive chainhave now closed garage doorwhich has a plurality of horizontal panels.

shows a perspective view of the garage door and the garage door screen with swinging door in the closed position with dual motors instead of one motor in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, motorand drive chainopen and close garage door screenwhile motorand drive chainopen and close garage door.

shows an elevation view from inside the garage of a three-panel garage door screen in the closed position with a two-panel swinging door in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, garage door screenhas three horizontal panels,, andand a two-panel swinging doorthat extends vertically across the two horizontal panelsand. Two-panel swinging dooris shown in the middle section of the garage door screen, but it also could be located in the left section or the right section of the garage door screen.

shows an elevation view from inside the garage of a four-panel garage door screen in the closed position with a three-panel swinging door in an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, garage door screen′ has lower horizontal panel′, lower middle horizontal panel′, upper middle horizontal panel′, and upper horizontal panel′ and a three-panel swinging door′ that extends vertically across the lower horizontal panel′, lower middle horizontal panel′, and upper middle horizontal panel′. Three-panel swinging door′ is shown in the middle section of the garage door screen′, but it also could be located in the left section or the right section of the garage door screen′.

shows an enlarged view of the two-panel swinging door fromin an embodiment of the invention. Referring now to, garage door screenis comprised of a lower horizontal panel, a middle horizontal panellocated just above lower horizontal panel, and an upper horizontal panellocated just above middle horizontal panel. All three horizontal panels//span the width of the garage door screen. Lower horizontal paneland middle horizontal panelare connected together via horizontal panel hinges, and middle horizontal paneland upper horizontal panelare connected together via horizontal panel hinges′ allowing the horizontal panels//to move from a parallel plane with respect to each other to being at an angle with respect to each other as garage door screenis moved from a closed to an open position.

The two-panel swinging doorhas a first rigid framehaving four sides—top, right, bottom, and left—located in the lower horizontal panel. The two-panel swinging doorhas a second rigid frame′ having four sides—top, right, bottom, and left—located in the middle horizontal panel. On the right side of first rigid frameis a first hinge. On the right side of first rigid frame′ is a second hinge′. The first hingeconnects the first rigid frameto the first hinge side rigid frame. The second hinge′ connects the second rigid frame′ to the second hinge side rigid frame′. The first hingeenables the first rigid frameto swing open from the first hinge side rigid frame. The second hinge′ enables the second rigid frame′ to swing open from the second hinge side rigid frame′.

A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the top side of first rigid frame. The term “fixedly attached” may mean glued, nailed, screwed, or any other suitable permanent attachment mechanism. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the bottom side of second rigid frame′. Magnetic stripand magnetic stirpattract each other so that when first rigid frameand second rigid frame′ are swung open, they move together in unison. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the top side of second rigid frame′. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the bottom side of a section of upper horizontal panel. When first rigid frameand second rigid frame′ are swung open, magnetic stripand magnetic stripbreak away from each other.

As the horizontal panels/are moved from a parallel plane with respect to each other to being at an angle with respect to each other as garage door screenis moved from a closed to an open position, magnetic stripsandwill separate from each other. Similarly, as the horizontal panels/are moved from a parallel plane with respect to each other to being at an angle with respect to each other as garage door screenis moved from a closed to an open position, magnetic stripsandwill separate from each other.

First rigid framehas a handlenear the top on the left side of first rigid frame. Second rigid frame′ has a handle′ near the bottom on the left side of second rigid frame′. When garage screen dooris in the closed position, handles/′ can be grasped to swing open the first rigid frameand the second rigid frame′ about hinges/′. Magnetic strips/keep the first rigid frameand the second rigid frame′ together as both are swung open. Magnetic stripsandwill separate as second rigid frame′ is swung open.

A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the left side of first rigid frame. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to the left side of second rigid frame′. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to a first handle side rigid frame. A magnetic stripis fixedly attached to a second handle side rigid frame′. When first rigid frameand second rigid frame′ are swung open, magnetic stripand magnetic stripwill separate from each other. Similarly, when first rigid frameand second rigid frame′ are swung open, magnetic stripand magnetic stripwill separate from each other.

When garage screen dooris in the closed position, handles/′ can be grasped to swing open the first rigid frameand the second rigid frame′ about hinges/′. Magnetic stripsand, andand, separate from each other, allowing first rigid frameand the second rigid frame′ to rotate about hinges/′ to create an opening allowing ingress and egress through garage door screenwhen it is in the closed position. One skilled in the art will recognize that for the three panel swinging door′, a third rigid frame will be positioned above second rigid frame′ having a third hinge, a third handle, and the same arrangement of magnetic strips between the third rigid frame, the third hinge side rigid frame, and the third handle side rigid frame. This same pattern can be repeated for a four panel swinging door (not shown).

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.